In 2006 I moved to Qatar and things are not what many people in North America would expect - it is not like how the Middle East is portrayed in the media. I'm also a fan of skepticism and science so wondered how this works here in Qatar. Since I'm here for a while I figured I'd use the time to get to know this country better and with this blog you can learn along with me. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - So what posts have been popular recently . . .

Sunday, July 03, 2016

Ramadan 2016, Day 27 – Meals and Buffets

Only a couple of days to go before Eid. We will know tomorrow night whether Eid officially starts or whether it will start the next night. I'm actually looking forward to shifting back to normal sleeping and eating habits. The first few days of fasting are tough, then you start to get into the routine and get the hang of it, but after a while the disruption to how you eat, how you sleep, how late you stay up, starts to slowly wear you down. It’s weird going to bed at 1 or 2am, getting up again at 3am, going back to bed then getting up around 7:30, and going to work before coming back home for a huge nap. I'm looking forward to actually sleeping a solid eight hours in a row, not having to take 2-hour naps in the afternoon, and not being concerned about being outside in 45 degree heat because I can't drink water. I also miss being able to drink coffee at the office.

I managed to keep the buffets to a minimum and had only attended two iftars at hotels and no sohours. I did go with my friends to a couple of sohours at restaurants (one Turkish, one Canaanite), and as usual we ordered way too much food, so at the end of the day I guess I went to four big dinners during Ramadan, which was pretty subdued for me. Thankfully my friends and colleagues toned it down too so I didn’t have to turn down tons of invitations. I recall a few years ago I went to a hotel buffet iftar, a hotel buffet ghabga (a traditional meal between iftar and sohour) and a hotel sohour buffet all in one evening! That was nuts.

Did I lose weight? I don’t know, maybe a little. I did try to get an average of 10,000 steps a day, and most days I did manage it, but it was probably offset by all the eating out at friend's majlises and restaurants.